Apple has been placing a strong focus on the Chinese market, which now accounts for 15% of the company's revenue and and saw revenues rise 78% to $23.8 billion in fiscal 2012.

Still, Apple's product launches in China have typically lagged behind those in the company's other major markets, leading to a booming gray market for devices brought in from Hong Kong and elsewhere while also leaving the company more vulnerable to competitors. But with Apple's goal of bringing the iPhone 5 to at least 100 countries before the end of 2012, the company is clearly working hard on compressing its worldwide rollout timetables.